Omaha daily bee., 1887-04-14
KILLED ON THE RACE TRACK.
Alfred Torrance Makes His Last Mount
and Rides to Death.
A TRAGIC EVENT NEAR PARIS
His Neck Broken BY n Kick From a
Fallen Horsc--German Histori-
cal Libraries Purchased For
American Colleges.

An American Riders Death.
lCopri0ht 1897 bD Jams Gordon Bsnnehl
PARIS, April l3.-TNew York Herald Cable
~TSpecial to the BEE. IA shocking accident
occurred yesterday at Croix de Berry, when
Mr.. Alfred Torrance, the well known Ameri-
can gentleman rider, fell with his horse dur
ing race and was instantly k filed. Croix
de Berry Is one of the most picturesque
spots in the environs of Paris. 1t Is few
miles west of the Bois de Boulogne and has
long been celebrated as the scene of the
yearly cross country meetings of gentlemen
riders, which constitutes the most fashiona-
BILE and most select turf event in France.
Croix de Berry Is to the Grand Prlx what
the Sandown park meetings are to the Derby.
Yesterday long rows OF mail coaches and
smartly appointed private equipages were
drawn up opposite the Weighing paddock.
All the grandes armes OF the Fauberg Saint
Germain, radiant in spring toilets; hundreds
of officers in the dazzling sky-blue and scar
let uniforms of the French cavalry; members
OF the Jockey club; in word, all that makes
up the ultra-fashionabe world of Paris, were
there. 1t was q beautiful day. The sound of
popping champagne corks resembled the
steady roll OF distant musketry, and was
only interrupted BY the soprano notes Of the
young ladies as they offered to lay dozens of
pairs of gloves on their favorites. The ex-
element was at its highest pitch when the
bell rang for the third race-a steeple chase
handicap for 5000 francs over a course of
5000 metres with very stiff obstacles.
HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
MIR. Torrance had as mount the mare
Cable who was second favOrite In the bet
ting, the odds being three to one against
Cable. Eleven horses ran, and Of these five
fell or baked before the last jump from home
was reached Mr.. Torrance was riding beau
tifully and was rapidly gaining on the first
horse and seemed certain to win the race.
At the last ditch, Clovis, ridden by Mr..
Brockwell, fell, and Cable coming over i'm
mediately behind, was also brought down.
Mr.. Torrance fell so that unfortunately he
lay sandwiched in between the two horses.
His chest was crushed by the force of the
shock, and this was not ALL for Clovis began
kicking and his of hind hoof struck Mr..
Torrance in the back of the neck, breaking
the vertebral column. NJ. Torrance was seen
to raise his arms and place his hands to the
back of his head, but before his friends
who rushed from the Weighing paddoc k,
could reach him, life was extinct. He must
have been killed instantly by the crushing
to the back of his neck was probably nerv-
Gus contraction of the muscle caused by the
breaking OF the vertebral column. All his
ribs were broken and his breast was like one
mass of jelly. His head remained attached
to his body merely by the skin and tendons,
and when the body was raised from the
ground by the stewards the head fell and
hung down the back as IL 1t were held simply
by string. The sight was most CHASTITY.
The utmost CONSERVATION prevailed in the
stands and seven ladies tainted away.
THE BODY REMOVED.
Mr. Torrance's lifeless body was taken to q
county inn near the course and placed on a
bed whence it was brought to his apartment
in the rue Cambon in Paris this afternoon.
The body will be embalmed. Mr. Meredith
Rowland, Mr.. Torrance's brother-in-law, ar
rives here to-day from Cannes. Mr.. Tor
rance was only thirty-six years of age. lie
was nephew Of the late w Vanderbilt by
marriage, behaving married one of Mr. Van
derbilts neices, from whom he was subse-
quenty divorced. AS q horseman he had
few equals In Europe. His seat was perfec-
ton and his pluck knew no bounds. Many
and many time he was warned by bis
friends about his reckless riding, but his in
variable answer was, "Where horse can CO.
l can go too" His tragic death, however,
was not due to recklessness, but purely to
accident
JUST BEFORE HIS DEATH.
l had conversation this morning with the
Prince de Sagau, president Of the steeple-
chase association of France, who, In behalf
of the jockey club, especially notified MIR.
McLain, the United States minister, Of the
death of Mr.. Torrance. The Prince de
Sagan said: "Why, only half an hour be.
fore his death was talking with him. lie
was smoking cigarette and complained of
his getting too stout He said: Il can't
work myself down below sixty-three kilo-
grammes, and l take turkish baths three
times week and have given up all farina-
ceous food
~ said to him: Don't you find 1t pretty
hard work here%
n"Torrance said: Yes, am going to give
up steeple chasing altogether. 1t is too great
strain on my system to keep up the con-
slant training. The fact is this will
probably be the last race shall ever ride"
'Poor Torrance. Neither he nor dreamed
OF the tragic significance these words have
now."
The Prince Do Sagau concluded the con-
versation with me by saying: "When you
cable the news, don't forget to say that mt.
annals Of the French turf as one OF the finest
and most interpret gentleman riders who
ever crossed Q saddle"
OTHER SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.
Another serious accident occurred at CroiX
ae Bernoy yesterday. NJ. Perredon, a lieu
tenant of cuirasseurs, broke q log In fall
from his marc MarQuise In the military
steeplechase.
Mr.. Torrance's Victories on the French
turf have been numerous. Last year only,
atDieppe, he won the Prix Duauesne on his
horse Percy, and his two representatives,
Victoire ana Percy, were first and second In
the grand international steepechase In 1854.
He won the Prix de, Lions at Chantilly on
Iceberg. aftor bad heat with Tartar. In
the same year ne met with serious scci don,
at Vincennes. In the Prix Soumur, when NJ.
NJ. Torche and Andre Voubert were also in
1urod, and he never thoroughly got over this
N..l.